Metal Town Rises
by MuffinPuppiesUnite
Summary: Five years after the start of the war, a girl finds herself orphaned. Thirteen years later, the fate of the rebellion could rest on her shoulders, but there may be more anarchy than realized. All because Emmett got what he wanted. Or did he? (T for violence and language) (AU)
1. Prologue

**Y: 2005 A.D.**

The girl stares at them. It's hasn't been uncommon, for the past year or so, for something like this. But how could it be that six years ago, these two decided to bring her into this world? How could it be so happy then, but now she is standing ankle-deep in water that ran red with blood? Some of it belonging to her parents?

"Mommy..." She curls up in the water, not knowing exactly why it is red, but knowing her parents are gone. She lays her head on her mommy's stomach as a pillow, and pulls both of her father's hands over, grasping one tightly and wrapping the other around her mommy's hand. "Papa..."

She wails out as thunder cracks. She wants her mommy. She misses her papa. They were screaming this morning. Screaming something at each other that the girl couldn't hear because of the rain and thunder. And right after, mommy had come into the other side of the three room house, saying something she can't remember now. Something about Klaga. _Klaga_. She still doesn't know what that means. Mommy put her on her hip, and the girl thought it was funny. Mommy hadn't carried her in a long time. The girl giggled, and something went sad in mommy's eyes. Something the girl had never seen. Mommy had grabbed two outfits, put them in the girl's hands, and papa had come over. They walked out, but something happened. Mommy started crying. Papa started cursing. Papa hid the girl and mommy under the porch, telling them not to move. Mommy cried harder. Papa walked away. Then there was something loud. Twice. Mommy screamed papa's name and ran towards the loud noise. She told her to stay but the girl followed. Mommy was fast, and the water made it hard for the girl to run. There was another loud noise, and some shouting. Then cars. And when the girl got to mommy, she was lying in red water next to papa. The girl thought the water looked like...she didn't know what. It was kind of like when she got a scrape on her knee, but nor really. More like the food coloring Mommy used to make cupcakes a long time ago. Mommy and Papa didn't move.

At least they had band-aids at home, so long as mommy and papa would get up. But they wouldn't. They couldn't. They hurt their heads and that is bad. They aren't crying. It can't be worse than a scrape on the knee. The girl cries when she gets a scrape on the knee. Mommy and Papa aren't crying. They couldn't be like Grandpa, could they? They could. And that is why it's so awful. She realized what just happened. And she cried.

The girl collapsed into the spot she lays in now, her hair and clothes being soaked by rainwater.

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**A/N: So, I saw no fanfiction that I could find really ever went into the subject of Metal's glorious Metal Town. Well now _I am._ And it's not what he expected. Please review! Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light." -Helen Keller

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**Y: 2019 A.D.- Present Day**

I stretch my arms. I've been hanging up here long enough. The old iPod I found this morning is starting to glitch out anyway, and I can't even hear the music. Probably need to find somewhere to charge it.

I swing down from the trees after checking for the workers. It's almost moon high, but sometimes those slaves are up late. As soon as my feet hit the mud, I hear something crash into one of the bushes at the base of an orange tree about three feet away. I'm about to take off running, when the figure stands up and I recognize him.

"Melvin!" I hug him. He's a slave, maybe the only one who doesn't chase me off. He brushes the leaves off after I let go. "Jeb making you work late?" He shakes his head.

"No, but I found a couple quarters." He replies. "Thought I'd head into the city and buy some cheese, if she's still up."

"Found?" I ask. No one just "finds" a couple quarters. "You didn't steal it, did you?"

"What? Of course not!" He seems appalled by the accusation. "I would _never_ steal from Jeb!" I can believe that, but I meant from another slave. He seems honest enough, so I shrug it off.

"M'kay, I was just heading back, can I come with you?" I beg, although I know the answer already. As we walk, he pulls out the money to show me. He has three whole quarters! The most money I remember ever holding at a single time is one quarter and a couple pennies. And that was a long time ago.

It takes a good walk, but we reach the suburbs. Run-down, white and orange houses with broken windows and stains from heaven-knows-what, shady people hanging around, this is a dangerous place, especially in the darkness. We hurry towards the city.

The place is run down and you can always hear metal music playing. I barely notice it, though, because it's been there all nineteen years of my life. Anyway, the music is blasted, Metalhead Guards, a form of police, walk around constantly with guns and knives to enforce their rules. I unintentionally step on a couple pieces of broken asphalt that hurt my bare feet. As we enter the main marketplace, I pull on a black bracelet with spikes on it that I think are horrid but Melvin suggests anyway. There are fewer Metalhead Guards around. The upper class of society are called the Metalheads, and their entire wardrobe and lives consist of items like my bracelet.

We pass a booth run by a couple kids, I only know one is called Lunch, selling treats like muffins and a couple cupcakes. I feel my eyes widen. Frosting. The only pink thing I know of, and I love it. Somehow, I feel myself walking towards it, but Melvin grabs my shoulder. He shakes his head. I knew it. Muffins cost about a dollar, and cupcakes are even more than that! He couldn't get one, even if he wasn't buying cheese.

When we reach the right booth, about seven of the fifty unstable makeshift booths in the entire marketplace are open, signaled by the lit mini-torch, and one of them is the Yearwood stand. The stand sells cheese from a goat, some fabrics, and some jewelry.

Her table is a broken piece of concrete on top of two large rocks. I've been buying things here whenever I can for as long as I've known, and I was around when Papa Yearwood passed. The young blonde woman turns away from the boxes behind her counter to see us. Even in the near-black night, her blue eyes sparkle like diamonds.

"Norma, it's great to see you, sweetheart!" She beams at me. I hear her loud and clear over the music, but I'm guessing Jeb and the other slave owners couldn't stand this. "And Melvin, it's been a while."

"Well, you know I've been busy, Carrie." Melvin says, causing her to frown. His position has always made her uncomfortable, and she even started a fund to buy and free him, but lost it when her Papa was dying, the business dropped, and they couldn't pay their taxes. She probably still feels bad about that, but he insisted he was fine.

"So, what brings you into the city at this late hour? I was about to pack up and lie down!" She continues smiling. Her house is a one room apartment she shares with her cousin, who helps sell, and must be sleeping. She generally works in the day, from what I've seen.

"I wanted to buy some cheese." Melvin murmurs.

"Alright honey, how much?" Carrie asks.

"How much can I get for seventy-five cents?" He asks, setting the quarters down.

"An ounce and a half." Carrie smiles. She takes the money and puts it in a jar, and turns to slice the cheese. I'm cold, so I snuggle under Melvin's arm as we wait, but he takes a step away. I huff and start rubbing my arms to keep warm. Carrie hands us the cheese.

"Thanks, and say hi to Jamie for me?" Melvin says, picking up the little piece of cheese wrapped in tin foil.

"Me too!" I squeak.

"I'll do that, now you two go home and get sleeping, alright?" Carrie says with her ever-present smile.

"Thanks again." Melvin says before we start walking back to the slave territories. About halfway there, he turns to me.

"Where are you sleeping tonight?" He asks. I feel a knot in my stomach. I don't know where I'm sleeping tonight.

"There's an old tree house a few miles from Jeb's land." I smile. It's not a lie; there is a tree house, it's just too worn out to use.

"Are you lying?" He asks.

"No, of course not, silly." I say.

"You're lying." He confirms. "I've seen that tree house; it couldn't support a mouse, and it's infested with bugs and creepy crawlers."

"What, do you want me to sleep in the orchards?" I say, somewhat loudly.

He sighs; "No. Make sure you're safe." We're at his land, so he disappears into the bushes and I turn around. I start walking back to the city, but think of Melvin. Think of the times I've seen him get beat for not doing something right, while I hid in the bushes. I can't see how Jeb could do that. I talked to him once; he seemed _really_ nice.

I stub my toe on a rock and cry out. I bounce around on one foot, holding the injured one, until I realize my train of thought changed my direction. I haven't been in this forest for a few years, and I get a chill down my spine. Some guy told me that cannibals live here.

"Oh..." I whimper. I hear a twig snap. Turn around. "Who's there?" My voice sounds whiny, but I can't help it. Suddenly someone grabs my wrists, holds them behind me, and puts a knife to my throat. I can't see his face, because he's behind me, but another figure steps out of the shadows in front of me.

"What are you doing here, Norma?"


	3. Chapter 3

"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." -Desmond Tutu

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"Are you gonna eat me?" I whimper. The figure steps closer, and I see it's a lady with her black hair in pigtails.

"No, we're not gonna eat you!" She says. "Nick, let her go. She just a confused traveler." The guy, who must be Nick, takes the knife off my throat and steps in front of me. He has short red hair and sharp eyes that could burn through a popsicle.

"I'm Avery Clowers." The girl says. "Don't you remember us?" I shake my head. "When you were six, we found you huddled against a tree, covered in mud and..."

"And what?" I ask.

"...nothing." She shakes her head. "We took you to Howard." With a gasp, I remember them. She retells the story in more detail than I remember as we walk deeper in the woods towards their home.

"Nicholas and I were thirteen." Avery says. "We were slaves then, but when his parents were killed by Metalhead Guards while they were in the city doing chores for our master, we decided it was time to get the heck outta there. We waited until he was resting, and the overseer was dozing, and we ran. We kept running until early morning, and I couldn't go on. We climbed in a tree to sleep. Around four, Nick shook me awake and pointed down. You were stumbling towards the tree and just slid down against the bark. We climbed lower, and saw you were crying. A lot. We got down, and you were scared, but then just hugged Nick really tightly. You know what you said?"

"What?" I ask. Listening to her recall this story is slowly jogging my memory.

"You said," She says. "'My mommy and papa were hurt by people in black.'" Mommy? Papa? I never knew my parents. "Nick and I knew we had to get you somewhere safe, but we had nowhere to go. We heard there were some people still living in the suburbs, so we took you there, and a guy who said his name was Howard Newsman took you." I remember Howard. He was strange, but took care of me as best he could. I left when I was twelve because he started being gone for days at a time, and I needed to support myself. In fact, that's how I met Melvin. I was stealing peaches from the orchards, until one day he caught me. He was fifteen, and hated me for stealing. When he found out I was starving, he made me stop but gave me a few coins he had been saving for something important. I used it to buy food for the first time without Howard.

We finally reach their home: a crevice in between several giant rocks forming a small cave. They have some wooden bowls, a water-catcher, and a spool of twine.

"We stole it from a person in the city." Avery says. "Nick uses it to catch rabbits to eat." She kneels down and moves some large leaves to reveal some fresh meat. I smile at the thought of it. Nick starts a fire outside and while the meat cooks, Avery fans the smoke.

"Why are you fanning it?" I ask.

"Can't have anyone see it and know we're here." She then offers me a place to sleep, and I happily accept. When the meat is done cooking, Nick puts the fire out with some dirt, and we push past the hanging vines into the area. It's barely enough room for three people, but Avery claims that it's fine for two. We sit on the ground.

I bite into the warm food, which is something I haven't done in a long time. My mouth breaks into a wide grin, and Avery's into a small one. Which makes me realize: Nick hasn't said a word.

"Hey Nick, why don't you say anything?" I ask. He shrugs.

"Not very talkative," He says, barely audible and almost like a question. I blink a few times before beginning to wolf down my meat. Not very flavorful, but it is big and, best of all, warm. With the cheese I had earlier, and now this rabbit, I'm eating better than I have in years. I'm finished with my piece fairly soon, and after a few minutes Avery and Nick have caught up. They curl up next to each other to give me some room, and I lay down. The mossy floor is comforting, and for the first time since I left Howard's home, I feel safe.

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**A/N: I'm feeling all fuzzy. Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: 2 things: 1, sorry no quote this chapter, couldn't find a good one. 2, I know things have been going pretty slowly, but in this chapter things really start to heat up, maybe with the appearance of an aforementioned character? ;)**

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I left a while after dawn, promising to repay Avery and Nick eventually. I don't usually have much to do, so some days, when I know Jeb is at the market and the slaves are working, I play with some stray cats that live in the bushes surrounding his land. When I get there a little after sun high, a tiny gray one runs up to me, his white-spotted litter mate trailing closely behind.

"Hey, little guys." I pull out a bit of rabbit that Avery gave me to last a little while. Wentz and Hurley, that's what I call the kittens, eat it up eagerly at first, but Hurley, the girl, snorts at it and stops eating. Wentz eats Hurley's and his own, then snuggles up to me. I scratch his head, and Hurley blinks at me a couple times before chasing a falling leaf around. Autumn. My favorite season.

I tense when I hear a horse. _Jeb._ I grab Wentz and Hurley, because he doesn't like them on his land either, and dive into a thick bush. As Jeb walks past, holding his horse's lead, I think we're in the clear, until Wentz struggles out of my hands and leaps out at the horse's hoof. I bite my lip, the horse whinnies and she kicks her leg. Wentz falls to the ground, unhurt.

"Huh?" Jeb looks around and sees the kitten playing in the dust. He walks over, scoops up Wentz, and looks at him. "Now where did you come from?" He says. Then he turns swiftly to the bush I'm in and yells; "Who are you!?" I shakily step out of the bush, Hurley in hand.

"Hi-hi, Jeb." I say.

"You." He says. He grabs my wrists, and I accidentally drop Hurley.

"Hurley!" I say.

"Get on the horse." Jeb removes the bags, and yells at the nearest slave to put them in his house. He ties my wrists and forces me on his horse, and once I'm up there, I see all the slaves and the overseer are watching, including Melvin. He runs over.

"Sir, may I ask where you're taking her?" He says.

"Shut up, Melvin." Jeb says. I'm getting really scared about what's going to happen. Jeb starts walking us towards the city, bringing a slave with us, and I wonder why we're going to the marketplace. Only thing is, when we get to the marketplace, we continue going. Towards the prison, and the courthouse, and the building where whoever the leader of this place lives and has meetings. Four guards stand at the entrance, but he says something to one that allows us in, but the horse has to stay outside. The slave helps me down, and one of the guards walks us in. The room is blasting harsh music even louder than the marketplace, and both Jeb and his slave, neither used to loud music, cover their ears. The room is large and almost completely black, with a detailed, dark, chair at the end, black carpet as a floor, black walls with windows shaped like X's, and, next to the chair, a brown table, the only non-black thing, with simple wooden chairs surrounding it. In the big chair sits a woman with dark black eyes and long, straight hair. She stands as we're walked in.

"Who is this?" She speaks with a strange accent.

"He claims he has the one we're searching for." The guard says. The woman walks over, and I see she's wearing spiked heels.

"Music off!" She yells. The music is shut off abruptly, and she stares at me. "This is not her."

"What?" Jeb says.

"He said this was Rayna Klaga." The guard says. Suddenly, we're not in a grand, black room. We're in a small house, I think in the suburbs. It's raining, and there's...there's motorcycle's outside, and blood. Someone is crying...it's me.

"_Daniel don't you understand that if Klaga finds us, we're dead!?"_

Klaga.

"Snap out of it!" I open my eyes to find the slave is shaking me, and I'm crouched on the ground with my hands over my ears. The guard, the woman, Jeb, and the slave are all staring at me.

"What is your name?" The woman asks me.

"N-Norma." I say as I shakily stand.

"Last name?" She asks.

"I..." I trail off. "I think it's...Haish." It's the first time I've ever said the word, but it's not foreign and it's definitely my last name.

"Listen, ma'am," Jeb says.

"Call me Gorgol, slave keeper." Gorgol crosses her arms.

"I honestly thought she was the girl you're looking for." Jeb says.

"I won't throw you to the rats, just yet, Mr. Indie." Gorgol says. "But if you bring me another false girl, I WILL." Jeb hurriedly drags me and his slave out, but just before we leave, I catch one last sentence from Gorgol to her guard; "This rebellion will never be stopped if the daughter of Klaga is still free!"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Yeah, so, I'm not what one would call, "owner of a brain"(meaning I'm stupid). I had a sort of timeline worked out in my head, then I screwed it up. You may have noticed, I changed the years in Chapters 1 & 2 because I made a mistake. Just in case you didn't notice, that's why I'm telling you. If you discovered this story after I fixed it, sorry I confused you with this author's note. 'kay, moving on. **

* * *

"Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err." -Mahatma Gandhi

* * *

Once we're out of the building, I can hear them turn the music back on. Jeb drags me by the wrists, his slave bringing the horse, until we reach the suburbs. No one is out in the open, and the music is fainter, but I know someone could jump us at anytime in the suburbs.

"Jeb, I-" He throws me to the ground.

"Why were you on my land?" He growls.

"I was playing with the stray cats!" I beg. "I'm sorry, Mr. Indie."

"What is going on here!?" I look to see Jamie. She walks over. "Let go of her!" Jeb lets go of my wrists, and I scramble over to Jamie.

"She was stealing my crops." Jeb says. "I thought she was the one they're looking for!"

"Well she's not, Jeb!" Jamie says. "Leave her alone!"

"Fine." He mounts his horse, and leaves with his slave.

"Norma, are you okay?" Jamie asks.

"Yeah." I say. "What are you doing in the suburbs?"

"Doesn't matter." She says. "Let's get back to the marketplace." We hurry back to her apartment, where Carrie is knitting blankets to sell. Jamie bursts in, tells me to keep my head down, shuts all windows and blinds, and locks the door.

"Jamie, what in the blue halibut is going on?" Carrie says. Jamie ignores her, and grabs my shoulders.

"Did they ask for your name?" Jamie says. I fumble and she repeats; "Did they?!"

"Yes!" I say. "I told them it's Norma Haish."

"No no no no no." Jamie says. "Listen to me, Norma."

"Jamie!" Carrie says.

"Avoid Guards at all cost, okay?" She says. I nod.

"Who's Rayna Klaga?" I ask. Carrie gasps.

"Someone Amanda Crystheart wants dead." Jamie says. "And Jeb thought you were her."

"Who's Amanda Crystheart?" I ask.

"Gorgol." Jamie answers. "Now, you're spending the day here. Maybe by tomorrow, this will have calmed down." I nod, scared. If I'm not who they're looking for, then why does it matter? And what is this name, Klaga, I keep hearing? After a few minutes, when Jamie isn't panicked, I ask.

"She said, as we left, that 'this rebellion won't be stopped if the daughter of Klaga is still free.'" I say. "Who's Klaga?"

"No one." Jamie bites back, kind of sharply.

"He's the one who took over this area and made it the way it is." Carrie says.

"Carrie!" Jamie snaps.

"Cousin, I know how dangerous this is." Carrie replies. "But she's not a little kid, she can handle this."

"Wait, you mean it wasn't always like this?" I ask.

"No, sweetie." Carrie says. "Why, it wasn't too long ago that you could listen to any kind of music, and there was freedom of speech, which meant you could say your opinion publicly."

"Carrie!" Jamie snaps again but I'm too focused on Carrie's words to pay attention to her cousin.

"You mean, metal music wasn't playing 24/7?" I ask.

"O' course not!" Carrie says. "Why, we were one of the most liberated countries ever! They still are, we're just no longer part of the country. We as in, what used to be called 'California'."

_That's a strange name... _I think.

"Now you're nineteen," Carrie continues. "So you were a tiny little thing during the war. May not even remember it." She's right. I don't.

"What happened?" I ask. "Shouldn't we have that now?"

"I wish darling, but sometimes things change." Carrie says.

"Yes, which is why things have to go back." Jamie sighs. I huff, then close my eyes and try to imagine a perfect world where people are free...


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So, just fair warning, towards the end of this chapter, there is some harsh language because, well, let's just say, Jamie is upset. **

* * *

"Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." -George Washington

* * *

Sometime around noon, Carrie left me in the apartment to slice cheese while she and Jamie run the stand. Everything has been so odd today. _Klaga._ Just the word gives me shudders and sends an icy snake down my spine.

But what's troubling me more is what I can't remember. I remind myself of the only sentence I know from before living with Howard. _Don't you understand that if Klaga finds us, we're dead._ Who's Daniel? Who's Klaga? He sounds dangerous. Who would want to get rid of such a beautiful place full of freedom? _California._ The more I think about the place, it sounds better and better. I wonder what that other country, the one we used to be a part of, thinks of all this. California must have rebelled from them.

"Norma!" Carrie's voice snaps me back to reality as she grabs my wrist. "Honey, you almost cut your finger off with that knife, you gotta pay attention!"

"Sorry, Carrie!" I say. "I guess I'm a bit distracted."

"A bit?" She asks. "You looked like you were staring at a cake cat crapping rainbows while flying through the sky!" I giggle at the image in my head. "Norma!" I jerk back into reality once more, and Carrie takes the knife from me. "Sweetheart, you should get your tail over to the stand, maybe some sunlight 'ill do you good." I nod and hurry over to the cheese and fabrics stand. Jamie appears to be making a trade with a guard.

"Hey, Jamie." I squeak.

"Uh, yeah, here's your blanket sir." Jamie shoves a blanket in the guard's hands. "Glad you could come now please get going, I've got customers."

"Wait, I uh-" He looks at me. "Bye." Then he walks away. Jamie turns to me, hand on her hip and apparently flustered.

"Norma!" She hisses. "Why are you down here?"

"Carrie said some sunlight would be good for me!" I say. "I was _really_ distracted." Jamie makes halfway between a grunt and a squeak and then tells me to look after the goat, Timberlake; she walks off, towards the apartment. I worry only for a second because the goat is vying for my attention. And she's winning. Timberlake and I have liked each other since she was born about five years ago. I scratch her head and she snuggles close to my leg, so I kneel down and pet her.

"Hello, anybody working here?" I hear someone on the other side of the stand, and pop up.

"Hey there!" I say. Jeb seems surprised to see me, then angry.

"Ugh, you." He says. "Isn't this Jamie and Carrie's stand?"

"Don't forget Timberlake." I say.

Jeb sighs and, trying to be polite, says; "Hi Timberlake." She bleats in fear and scampers over to her pen.

"Sorry, guess she doesn't like you." I say with a giggle. He rolls his eyes.

"Ugh, is Jamie gonna be back, or-" Jeb is cut off when a guard walks over, pushes him to the side by the face, and starts nailing a paper to the wooden support of the stand.

"Hey! You can't do that!" I say.

"Do you want to tell that to the Rat Protector!?" The guard gets in my face and, seeing the sharp blades on his glove, I whimper in fear.

"Sir, I'm sure she meant no disrespect." Jeb defends me. The guard turns to him. "She's just a dumb kid." The guard growls at me then walks away.

"Thank y-" I start.

"Say another word and I kill you." Jeb bites. I, slightly shocked, turn and look at the sign.

_WANTED, DEAD OR ALIVE_

_NAME: RAYNA KLAGA_

_AGE: 16_

_APPEARANCE: UNKNOWN_

_REPORT SIGHTS OF RAYNA KLAGA_

_OR BE SENTENCED TO THE RATS_

_THIS IS THE LAW AND SHALL_

_BE ENFORCED AS SUCH_

"Oh." Jeb whispers. "Shit."

"What the hell is this?!" Jamie storms over. "Jeb, what the fuck do you think you're doing here?"

"I need to talk to you." Jeb says.

"Jamie," I whisper trying to alert her of the sign.

"Get out!" Jamie points very obviously away from the stand.

"Fine!" Jeb storms away and Jamie turns to me.

"I'm gone for five minutes!" She says, then sighs and lowers her volume. "What?" I point to the sign. She looks over, reads it while moving her lips, as she does when she reads, then groans loudly. "We're fucked."

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**2nd author's note: I do enjoy making references to pop culture in the names of the animals. Plus, just a side note, I messed with some of their ages so Metal is a bit older, and he had Rayna at an appropriate age. Love you guys and make sure to review!**


	7. Chapter 7

"J-Jamie, why are we..." I start, unsure of how much I want to use that word. "...that?"

"Be quiet and let me think." Jamie snaps. She never snaps like that, except lately. What is going on? Jamie stands there tapping her foot for a minute, then unlocks Timberlake from her pen, scoops her up, and hands the animal to me.

"Jamie," I start.

"Norma, take Timberlake home, tell Carrie to close the windows, and don't leave until I'm back, okay?" Jamie looks me in the eyes as she talks and, for such a normally spaced out woman, it's surprising me.

"B-but-"

"Go!" She says, then softens her tone. "Please, I'll be back by tomorrow. Just explain what happened, okay?" I nod and hurry back to Carrie and Jamie's apartment, and glance back at the stand, to find Jamie is gone. I reach to open the wooden door, when it swings in and a startled Carrie stands there.

"Hey darling, what's going on with Timberlake?" She asks. "I was about to take the next shift-" I push her inside, partially with the goat.

I set Timberlake down and close the door behind me, then lock it without even talking to Carrie. I start shutting windows until Carrie grabs my shoulder, pushes me around, and forces me to explain myself.

"Norma, you're acting like Nuclear War is about to happen!" She says. "Now calm down and tell me what's happening and why the goat is inside!" I hurriedly explain everything I saw when I went outside.

"What is going on with Jamie?" I ask when I'm finished. Carrie sighs and looks like she's having trouble speaking, but Timberlake bleats something so that she takes a deep breath and explains.

"Jamie is in over her head." Carrie says somewhat bluntly. "Let's just say...well, she's doing things that some people might not want to happen." I must show my confusion transparently because she clarifies; "The government, honey."

"Oh." I say.

"She's worried because she's walking a very dangerous path," She says. "And trust me, that is not something you want to get caught up in, so when Jamie says to go somewhere, you need to listen, okay?" I nod, despite the unintentional condescending tone, like she thinks I'm a little kid. I barely think about that, though, because now I'm worried about Jamie.

_WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE_

Dead or alive? That could be Jamie if she keeps this up! Who is she talking to? Has she _killed_ anyone?!I run through probably a thousand questions in my mind before I start breathing too rapidly and panicking. Jamie practically raised me since Howard disappeared! If something happens to her, I have no idea how I'll survive!

Wait...since Howard disappeared. He introduced me to Carrie and Jamie. Could he have something to do with this?

I decide questions unasked will go unanswered, but when I turn to ask Carrie hundreds of them, before I can even ask, Carrie says she feels sick, so she lies down and falls asleep. I cross my arms and pout purposelessly for a few minutes before the questions run through my head and I end up playing with Timberlake to distract myself.

I don't even realize I've fallen asleep until I wake up again with a pillow draped over me. An asleep Timberlake is my pillow, but when I sit up, she wakes up and licks my hand. The light outside is faint, but I can't see the sun so I don't know if it's early morning or evening. Carrie is sitting at her desk, doing something with yarn. She sees I'm awake, glances at me, then returns to knitting.

"What time is it?" I ask.

"Morning." She says. "You fell asleep so I just covered you and Timberlake with a blanket." Before I can even decide if it's a good idea to ask about food, my stomach growls loudly. Carrie looks at me sympathetically.

"Honey, you could help yourself to some cheese and bread, if you'd like." I stand and walk over to the small cabinets, to find only a little cheese and bread. I tear off a bite-size piece of each, then walk to Carrie. I try and ask if she and Jamie are alright, but something about her posture, or the way she's holding the knitting needles so close, makes me wonder if something is legitimately wrong. She looks up at me. "What is it, Norma?"

"Uh, I don't know..." I sit down on the floor, wrap the blanket around myself, and nibble on the food, only getting more and more worried.

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**A/N: the plot intensifies...please review, it means a lot!**


	8. Chapter 8

"When trouble comes, it's your family that supports you." -Guy Lafleur

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The next few hours are spent in torment as I wait anxiously for Jamie to get back, but Carrie doesn't seem worried at all. I approach her.

"Carrie..." I start. "Aren't you worried about your cousin?"

"Why of course I am, why wouldn't I be?" She says, flashing a white smile that makes me raise an eyebrow. "Oh, the smile. It's because I've spent hours and hours meditating so that my inner emotions don't display too darn obviously."

"Well, wherever Jamie is, shouldn't we be out there helping her?" I ask. In all honesty, I'm scared. The big guards scare me and Gorgol _terrifies_ me, but family sticks together. And that's what Jamie is to me. So I need to back her up.

"It's dangerous-"

"All the more reason to help!" I say.

"You have got some spirit in you, girl." Carrie says, and I smile a bit. "But spirit doesn't protect you from danger."

"It could if you had enough of it." I say. She laughs, but I don't. I was serious. Carrie doesn't take me seriously at all, does she?

"Just understand that with family, when they ask for space, you need to take a step back and consider things before moving forward." She says. I nod and head for the door. "Wait wait wait, where are you going?"

"To talk to Melvin!"

I've never lied to Carrie. Ever. Until now. Because I'm not going to talk to Melvin, I'm going to talk to Jeb. I get the feeling that he's involved in this somehow, with the way he and Jamie talk so much, when usually merchants and slave owners, who are mostly farmers, dislike each other.

I guess it's not completely a lie, since I probably will end up talking to Melvin while there. But still, my _intent_ isn't to talk to Melvin, it's to talk to Jeb, but I said otherwise.

Ugh, lying is too complicated for my brain.

When I reach the orchards, it's late afternoon. Melvin is, of course, working the hardest. With winter approaching, all the slaves are working to collect the harvest, and not a year has gone by where Melvin doesn't get his work done above and beyond, yet Jeb still hates him.

"Norma." Melvin says as I walk up to him. The overseer is sleeping, and Jeb spends most of his time...actually, I don't know what he does in his little house at the edge of his land. Maybe just drinks tea.

"Hi, I'm actually here to talk to Jeb, where is he?" I ask. He looks surprised.

"Really?" He asks. I nod. "Well, you're outta luck. He just left on a trip to the mountains for something. No idea what, and he wouldn't say."

"Okay but have you seen Jamie?" I say.

"No." Melvin says. "Why, is she in trouble?" I sigh, unsure of how much to reveal. Then he gives me an easy way out without any awkwardness; "Well, you might wanna leave. The overseer sleeps a lot, but not deeply. Might wake up any second." I nod and hurry back to the city.

I've noticed I've been spending a lot of time there, despite the fact that it's my least favorite place in the world. Of course it was unintentional; I guess fate doesn't like me right now. Sometimes I wonder what life is like beyond this area. This city is the Capitol, but what else is there in Metal "Town"? It's so much bigger than a town. The farthest I've been is the forest, but I've seen mountains beyond that. And apparently if you go for miles and miles beyond the courthouse, there's a _beach._ A long beach that stretches along one side of the entire country!

I stop dead in my tracks, wondering how I know all that. I mean, I remember a couple stories Howard told me from when he was a kid about a place called Big Bear Lake, and that he'd go to their camps in the summers, but it was boring because there wasn't a television, something that used to be everywhere, so he couldn't watch something called the news. Howard Newsman, I suppose it makes sense.

But just the idea of miles of land in the place called California that is now Metal Town, that I haven't seen, makes me realize how powerful Gorgol is. And that scares me.

I approach the door, and walk into Carrie and Jamie's house, which now seems smaller than ever.

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**A/N: A couple things: 1, completely forgot about the quote last chapter, but i, just missed one, and i...i...*breaks down hysterically sobbing***

**jk**

**2, I am starting to get better at writing Melvin/Intern 2, in my opinion. and 3, this chapter kinda makes me wanna let Norma explore, see California, as she hasn't seen much of it in her lifetime. I feel bad about how much she doesn't know because-**

***Indie duct tapes my mouth* shut up, Muffin! Scene: yeah, don't wanna give away spoilers, silly.**

**4, this A/N is too long, I have a tendency to do that.**

**5, about the location, i'm thinking that the Capitol is around Los Angeles. Wanna know where Big Bear Lake is? google it.**

**Okay? Review please!**


	9. Chapter 9

"Wisdom begins in wonder." -Socrates

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It's late at night of tomorrow when Jamie returns. I didn't sleep until she did. Carrie didn't. And we've been wondering where on earth she's been.

"Where have you _been_, Jamie!?" I ask bluntly. "It's been _forever_!"

"None of your business, Norma." Jamie says, then starts taking her shoes off. "I'm going to sleep."

"No you aren't!" I snap. "I wanna know what's going on! I know that Howard has something to do with this, and you need to tell me everything!" I don't mean to be so rude, but sometimes you just have to stand up for yourself.

"Howard?" Jamie asks, shocked. "Where'd he come out of this?"

"Right before he disappeared, he came here almost everyday!" I say.

"I don't remember that." Carrie says. We both look at Jamie.

"We had a thing, alright!" Jamie yells. "We were...'together', for a little while, but I realize it was stupid, okay!" I gasp.

"Liar!" I yell. I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I'm tired of Jamie being dishonest with me about this. "I don't know what's going on, but it's certainly not that! And if you're going to just flat out lie to me like that, then I'll figure out everything on my own!" I head for the door, sick of staying somewhere so pointlessly. Melvin can help me figure all this out.

"I'm starting a rebellion." Jamie says in a quiet voice. I turn back around. Carrie is dismayed by the fact that Jamie's just revealed this, and my jaw has dropped. "Howard was helping me. He knew Emmett Klaga back when he just worked for the police, and Howard worked for a news station. Howard went missing, and there are things he left behind that I have to figure out myself if I want to do this." I try to find words, but I can't. "Klaga used to walk around town like some sort of big shot, now he doesn't. One day he just disappeared. And then his right hand man- or, woman, Gorgol, took the stage. Something is wrong with this place we live in. And I want to fix it." Before I can even say anything, Carrie walks over to Jamie.

"You can't just dump this information on a young girl like this, Jamie." She says. "Do you realize how much danger she could be in now?"

"D-danger?" I say, hands shaking.

"Don't worry, I've got it handled." Jamie says, ignoring my fear. "We weren't going to sleep another night here, anyway. I've already got somewhere we can stay."

We start packing things, I tie a lead rope around Timberlake's neck, and Jamie and Carrie each pick up a bag of things.

"You guys ready?" Jamie asks. I nod quickly, and Carrie just holds on tight to the strap of her bag. "We're heading north."

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**A/N: I apologize if Jamie/Idol is getting a bit out of character. And I know it was really short, but I haven't updated in a while and I feel like I owe it to you guys. Also, if the quote doesn't seem to apply to the chapter, just think really hard. It makes sense.**

**...i think**


	10. Chapter 10

Never having been more scared in my life, we walk in the direction of the forest where the outlaws Avery and Nick live. The entire capitol, that being the city, the suburbs, and the slave territories, is quiet. Only a few guards are out, and Jamie makes sure we steer clear of them.

After a few minutes in the suburbs, Timberlake starts bleating, so Carrie hands me her pack, scoops up the goat, and carries her while holding her mouth shut. Timberlake continues struggling, and I watch on in worry as they try to keep her still. She pulls her snout out of Carrie's hand and starts bleating loudly. I cover my ears, although it doesn't hurt my ears and I don't know what help it is. Knowing that hardly anyone lives in the suburbs anymore, Jamie opens a door and we walk inside a house. Carrie sets Timberlake down and calms her, while Jamie paces.

"That goat is more trouble than she's worth." Jamie says.

"We're not leavin' her." Carrie says.

"No, we aren't." Jamie replies. "We'll see her again." She grabs a long strip of fabric out of Carrie's bag, takes the lead off Timberlake, and ties the fabric around Timberlake's neck.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"Sending a message to someone." She replies, opens the door carefully, and watches Timberlake walk back towards the city. "Let's move."

With the Timberlake thing leaving me more confused now than ever, I trail slightly behind the cousins, thinking about Gorgol, which leads to thinking about that big room, then being dragged there by Jeb, and finally Melvin. If we're heading north, will I ever see him again? Will I ever get to say goodbye to him if that's true? Or will I leave my only real friend alone in the world, like he always has been with Jeb as his master?

When we reach the wheat fields of a slave owner, we walk cautiously on the edges, hidden slightly by outer stalks of wheat. At the end of his field, we meet the edge of the forest. The dark, terrifying forest that Avery and Nick somehow manage to live in.

"Ready?" Jamie puts a hand on my shoulder, and I look out past this field, to where I can just see the tops of the peach trees where less than a week ago, I was listening to terrible quality music, then was busted for trespassing by Melvin. Over to the suburbs, where I have faint memories of being told stories by Howard that only he could know, because they were so outrageous. And finally stare at one house, that seems too familiar for me to not be connected to it, in some way. With it's broken porch with an area underneath, as I look at it, I hear thunder crack in my head. That house is bad. But somehow, I don't want to leave it. I don't want to leave everything I've ever known for northern territories. But I have no choice. So I tell a lie with one word. One syllable. One confirmation.

"Yes."

We continue until half an hour before sun high, when Jamie and I are exhausted. I haven't been this tired in a long time. Carrie is tired, but she's been sleeping better than Jamie and me. Still in the forest, we're anxious about stopping, but too worn to continue on. I sit down on a rock, wondering if I'll _ever_ be able to get up again.

"We just have a little longer until we reach the place where I know we'll be safe, at least for a night." Jamie says, rubbing her eyes.

"How much is a little?" I ask.

"It's really only about five minutes walking." She says. Carrie grabs my arm and pulls me up as I groan. We continue, until we reach a large tree that fell, but is leaning on another, stiffer, tree.

"This is safety?" Carrie asks. "'Cause it looks to me like a dead chunk a wood leanin' against a live one." Jamie shoots her a look.

"We're just meeting someone here, _Carrie_." She says. I sit on the ground, not caring about my pants getting filthy, or the icky bugs that might crawl on me. I lean against a tree and start to fall asleep, until a hand shakes me awake, my eyes snap open, and Jamie is there.

"Norma, I'd like you to meet-" She motions to two people I already know.

"Nick and Avery." I finish her sentence. "I know these guys!"

"Y-you do?" Jamie says, surprised.

"Yeah, I'm just wondering how you do." I say.

"When my parents died, Papa Yearwood looked after us." Nick says. I nod.

"Well you guys look worn out." Avery says. "What do you say we rest until morning, then you guys can be on your way?" Jamie nods, then Avery and Nick lead the way to their cave. Nick already has some food prepared, probably so we won't have to have smoke while here. But I don't even want to eat. I just lie down, and hope that when I wake up, the past few days have been nothing but a horrible dream.

When I do in fact wake up, that hope has kicked the bucket.

_I suppose I should be happy._ I think as Jamie wakes up Carrie. I mean, I've been wondering about what lies beyond the Capitol. And if we do end up fighting for our freedom from Gorgol, won't it be a good thing if we win? But what about the safety of Melvin, Carrie, and Jamie, the only three people I know well enough to love? Will they be safe?

"Remember, you can always ask for help from us." Carrie tells Avery and Nick.

"Same to you." Avery says. "We owe it to your father."

Even though Jamie promises it won't be long, we leave at sunrise and don't stop until noon, and that's only to eat. Jamie hands us each some cheese, and Carrie decides that while Jamie and I eat, she's collecting pine nuts.

"Why?" I ask.

"They're edible." Carrie says. After she's done removing the seeds and shell, she hands one to Jamie, who just looks at it, then at Carrie. "Come on."

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Jamie says, then bites it. Off the bat, it's obvious she doesn't like it, but she chews it quickly then swallows. I pass on the pine.

It's past sunset when we reach what is apparently our destination, several abandoned cabins near one large abandoned building. We walk up to one of the cabins, all of which have red roofs and green walls, both covered in moss and weeds. Jamie peers inside the window, then opens the door. Inside, separate from 6 bunk beds, a counter with two worn out sinks in it, and a toilet room, a girl is sitting on a bed, then jumps up when she sees us. Carrie is surprised, not knowing who she is, and I smile because she looks friendly enough.

"Girls," Jamie says. "This is Rayna Klaga."

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**A/N: I know! but don't worry. explanations next chapter, i promise!**

**also, I have a question for you guys: how would you feel about some Scentern 2 later on? And I want everyone to give me their opinion, because I have more followers on this story than reviewers so I don't know if you like what I'm doing. **


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